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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27482497">Pandemic Parenting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/New2Boy/pseuds/New2Boy'>New2Boy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Literal Therapy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Established Relationship, I’m really just pushing my experiences onto these characters, Modern AU, This is part of my Literal Therapy series, Zuko is my objectification tool, again to all the Mai stans out there, it is literal therapy for me to get this stuff out, kids in quarantine is hard, nothing against our girl, parenting fic, quarantine fic, she just fits a relational need rn, sorry bud, therapy fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:22:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27482497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/New2Boy/pseuds/New2Boy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sokka and Zuko are co-parenting Izumi with Mai. When Covid-19 comes around, it becomes... More difficult.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mai &amp; Sokka &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Mai &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Literal Therapy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908262</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pandemic Parenting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This chapter is just setting context and laying out the “life before the pandemic” if you will. More conflict, problem solving, and Covid life experiences will come later. But for now, a taste test of 2020’s beginning.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko was on his way to the airport when the first case was confirmed in Seattle. Lucky him, that’s where his connecting flight would stop. Azula didn’t seem to pay attention to the news, more concerned with keeping a hold on her mental health with the help of the staff. Zuko was glad he’d come out in person to provide her support through the tough end of winter weeks. In the future he’d be glad that he was able to get out there and see her at all. </p>
<p>He’d noted the rising cases overseas and was surprised that it had taken this long to reach the US. He sipped his coffee in the small Montana airport, and tried to gather as much as he could from the AP about the new virus. Right now they didn’t know much- China was doing all they could to tamp down their cases, and we weren’t really sure what the death rate was. Listening to the Science VS’s recently dropped dramatized episode about the next Pandemic was well timed and horrible for his stress levels. He tried to calm down. There should be no leftover virus in the Seattle airport, and he just wanted to get home. Seeing Azula that bad had been... Difficult. Draining. He wanted to be home with Sokka.</p>
<p>A 5am plane to Seattle, a small layover as they’d been delayed landing, then a long flight across the country to the East Coast. A bus. A train. A beautiful partner waiting to pick him up. </p>
<p>Sokka was standing outside the car, looking like heaven after a day of travel. Muscled but soft, dark and handsome. His face lit up when he saw Zuko trudging towards him, exhausted, ruffled, probably stinky, dry from plane air, pale, and drawn tight from helping Azula. He opened his arms wide, wordlessly, and enveloped Zuko in the hug he needed.</p>
<p>“Hey, babe,” he mumbled in Zuko’s good ear.</p>
<p>“Hi” was all Zuko was able to sigh back. </p>
<p>Sokka removed himself from the hug, gathered up Zuko’s bags, deposited them in the trunk and took the driver’s seat. Zuko hadn’t even tried to drive- he’d just stumbled into the passenger’s seat. He knew his limits right now. </p>
<p>“How are you feeling,” Sokka asked across the front seat, sparing Zuko a glance as he navigated the highway on-ramp. </p>
<p>It was a fair question. Zuko hadn’t had much time to check in with Sokka. He’d landed and gone pretty immediately to the hospital, to Azula’s tears and pleas that he photograph her bruises for an upcoming case she swore she wanted to bring against her nurses. She yelled at everyone, crying, accusing them all and swearing revenge against the whole damn institution. Even when she’d taken anxiety meds, she insisted that Zuko stay the whole day, saying she felt safer with him there. He was there sunup to sundown. He brought her special foods, helped her organize her paperwork, and provide support and reality checks. It was long, exhausting work bringing her back to baseline, but they’d gotten there. He came home as soon as he could. </p>
<p>It was terrifying seeing her like that. He felt heartbroken knowing he couldn’t do anything else for her. He felt defeated, grief stricken, and resigned. Sharing the load with Sokka helped. That Sokka had waited until Zuko was able to freely talk helped. That Sokka had told him to go to Montana, and got him a new bag, and communicated with everyone who needed to know had helped. Sokka was Zuko’s hero, and after telling him the full story of his two weeks away, he was sure he shared his gratitude as well.</p>
<p>“Izumi will be glad to see you though, that’s for sure,” Sokka commented, eyes twinkling. “We’ve been talking while she’s been at Mai’s, but I know how she is with you. That girl loves you.”</p>
<p>Zuko smiled, joyful at the reminder, but was humble enough to reassure Sokka that “she loves us both very much,” getting a ‘p-shaw’ back. </p>
<p>“She video chatted with me a couple of times, but she didn’t stay on for long. Mai’s been letting her watch a ton of movies at her place.”</p>
<p>“I guess I can’t blame her,” Zuko conceded, frowning, “she wasn’t supposed to be taking all this time with Izumi. She’s doing us a real favor.”</p>
<p>“I know. I can’t imagine trying to see my clients and make it down to pick her up from school on time. I’ve been worried about you- I wouldn’t have been there for her in the way she needs.”</p>
<p>Sokka was working on getting his therapist license, and had long days. Part of the joy of Zuko not working right now was that he was able to take care of Izumi when Sokka was with clients, and when Mai was working at the hospital. Mai and Sokka had chosen careers that didn’t seem to suit them at first, but knowing them as Zuko did, they had picked well for themselves. Sokka got to greet every new client as a puzzle to solve. Where can he push or pull, where are the edges, what’s the layout. And he got to truly help others. It gave him pride, and peace. He was never bored with his workload, coming home gushing about de-identified clients and their funny reactions. </p>
<p>Mai as a nurse was truly unexpected. Zuko didn’t really think her capable of taking care of others, but her sardonic comments and sharp mind helped keep up her patient’s health and spirits. They seemed to like her attitude and wit, and she secretly seemed to like being able to dole it out <em>and</em> help others. She was strange that way. Needling and... using needles both seemed to bring her joy.</p>
<p>And Zuko was... Rudderless. He’d had aspirations, of course. Growing up under his father didn’t leave room for disappointment. He’d gone to study theater- a truly rebellious moment- but only at the best in New York. He worked hard, getting A’s, becoming a TA, and working full time to pay for his part in a small New York apartment. But he fell apart. Apparently, you can only work so hard for so long. At some point the trauma comes for you. At least that’s what his therapists have told him.</p>
<p>He had tried working lots of jobs, had eventually finished his degree (online), and had spent the last two years trying to configure his life into something he could bear. He wanted to stop disassociating out of his body and leaving his jobs, giving no warning or explanation. He wanted to take classes again without shaking out of his skin. He was working on it, but it was slow. Very, very slow. He had learned that he was safer to not rely on Ozai’s money, and after years of watching him struggle, he had taken Sokka’s request to simply take it easy and live off of Sokka’s education stipend. So. No job, no clear goals, no classes. Just... Therapy and existence. And lots of time with Izumi.</p>
<p>That was another thing he hadn’t expected to be- a father figure. It was absurd. A week after Azula had been institutionalized by the state, Mai showed up on his and Sokka’s porch- car full and Izumi in her arms. They had been the godparents of course, but they didn’t expect to have to do much about it for a while. A year-and-a-half year old girl wondering why they’d gone on an adventure without Daddy was not on the Godparents Responsibilities List they’d consulted. Especially when Zuko was deep in a depression.</p>
<p>Mai hadn’t needed to tell them much. They’d noticed the way Izumi’s BioDad was always on the phone behind Mai. That he always wanted to know who she was on the phone with. He always complained how long it was taking. They had noticed when he’d lost it when Mai said she wanted to name Izumi after Zuko if they ended up having a boy. BioDad wasn’t missed. He’d tried calling, cajoling, threatening, and everything he could think of short of going to court to actually get custody of his out-of-wedlock daughter. After a year, he just... Faded away.</p>
<p>Mai had moved into their spare room and spent nine months with them. She recovered, she healed, and she got back on her feet. She found work, and a preschool for Izumi. And when she was doing all of that, Izumi was with Zuko or Sokka. She was a sweet little girl- toddling around with a round tummy and badly pronounced words- they had promptly fell head over heels in love with her. </p>
<p>It probably didn’t help that Zuko and Sokka had both had crushes on Mai- and who didn’t, really- she was gorgeous, strong, and could probably kill them both if she wanted to. What a turn on. And Mai hadn’t been uninterested. But there were a lot of problems. She had a bad history with polyamory. She was attracted to Strongmen- two emotional, touchy-feely Bi Guys wasn’t her type. The sex they’d had was amazing, but Mai sucked at communicating. She ended up dating three different guys on the side before they really called it quits on her. She just couldn’t handle what they were offering- a real, loving, equalized throuple and family with her two best friends. It was endgame material, and she wasn’t ready. But, they’d blurred the line of intimacy, and Izumi wasn’t just... A goddaughter to Zuko and Sokka anymore.</p>
<p>So. A dad figure. Parent. Responsibilities. </p>
<p>Izumi was one of the only reasons he was able to consistently get out of bed. When he and Sokka had her, he had to get up, even if he didn’t want to. She needed water or food and couldn’t get it herself yet. She had a nightmare and had to be put back to bed in a feeling of safety. She had energy and needed to be taken to parks and on walks. Zuko joined in on all those activities, too. He had more consistent meals and got regular exercise. Her antics made him laugh- made him guffaw sometimes. She was good for him. And he seemed to be good for her. He saw a lot of himself in her, and he out of her three parents seemed to really remember being a child. She adored time with her Da-Zu, and he adored his time with her. They were family, and they had a feeling of friendship between them, too. </p>
<p>That had all started years ago though. Izumi had been one-and-a-half when she first slept in their home. She was four-and-a-half now. Taller, stronger, and more strong-willed, too. She was taking after all of her parents in that last one. Their family could be explosive sometimes, but they were that- a family. No matter what, they affirmed to each other constantly that they’d be there for one another, and stay together, even though legally there was no responsibility to. But a family is made out of love.</p>
<p>As long as they all loved each other, it would all be fine. Zuko held onto that thought as he took Sokka’s hand. They were close to home, and he just wanted a nice, long rest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not sure I can promise ‘regular’ updates, as writing for me happens when it’s ready/I’m ready to process it. I’ll try to make it good. I found out with my last work that people actually read this stuff? Wild. </p>
<p>Lol and before you tell me my mental health stuff sounds extreme, yes I am already applying for disability, don’t worry.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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